How Bosnian Muslims view Christians 20 years after Srebrenica massacre

Family members mourn over coffins in Srebrenica on July 9. One hundred thirty-six bodies found in mass grave sites in eastern Bosnia will be reburied on 20th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre. (Photo by Dimitar Dilkoff/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images)

This weekend marks 20 years since the Srebrenica massacre – the killing of 7,000-8,000 Muslim men and boys by Bosnian Serb forces in a Bosnian town that had been designated a United Nations safe haven.

The massacre continues to stir political passions today. On Wednesday, Russia vetoed a U.N. resolution that would have condemned the action as a “crime of genocide”; 10 other Security Council members voted in favor of the resolution.

In 2010, Muslims made up about 45% of Bosnia-Herzegovina’s population, a slightly smaller share than that of Christians (52%), according to Pew Research Center estimates. And a Pew Research Center survey of Muslims conducted in late 2011 found indications of both understanding and tension between Muslims and Christians in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Of the 38 countries where the question was asked, Bosnia-Herzegovina is the only one outside of sub-Saharan Africa where at least half of Muslims (51%) say they know “some” or “a great deal” about Christian beliefs and practices. A majority of Muslims in Bosnia-Herzegovina (59%) also say Islam and Christianity have a lot in common; Bosnian Muslims who say they know at least something about Christianity are considerably more likely than those with less knowledge to believe the two faiths have a lot in common.

About one-in-five Muslims in Bosnia-Herzegovina (18%) say they attend interfaith meetings, which were recently promoted by Pope Francis during a trip to Sarajevo. Elsewhere in Southern and Eastern Europe, roughly one-in-ten or fewer Muslims say they attend such gatherings, including 6% in Kosovo and Albania and 8% in Russia.

Amid these signs of interfaith tolerance and engagement, however, community divisions remain. Relatively few Bosnian Muslims count non-Muslims among their close friends: Roughly nine-in-ten Bosnian Muslims (93%) say most, if not all, of their close friends share their faith.

Similarly, few Muslims in Bosnia-Herzegovina are comfortable with the idea of their son or daughter marrying outside the faith. Fewer than one-in-five Bosnian Muslims say they would be comfortable with either a son (16%) or daughter (14%) marrying a Christian. Elsewhere in the region, openness to marrying outside the faith is higher. For example, at least half of Muslims in Russia (52%) and Albania (77%) say they would be comfortable with their son marrying a Christian.

Bosnia-Herzegovina had a high level of social hostilities involving religion in 2013, the most recent year analyzed, according to an ongoing series of reports by the Pew Research Center. For example, in August 2013, three Serbs reportedly attacked four Muslims on their way to mosque in the town of Zvornik on the holiday Eid al-Fitr.

Correction: An earlier version of the map mislabeled Ukraine as Belarus.

Hmm..I am somewhat surprised by the responses on whether the son/daughter marrying a Christian would pose a unease with the parents. Namely, as a Bosnian Muslim, I would be uncomfortable with my daughter marrying a Serb given that 17 members of her family were killed by the Serbs and would certainly answer so, but I would have no issue/discomfort whatsoever in her marrying a foreigner, for example of any religion. How was the question asked?

Thanks for your interest. The question phrasing was this, followed by four possible answers to choose from: Q37. How comfortable would you be if a son of yours someday married a Christian? Would you be very comfortable, somewhat comfortable, not too comfortable or not at all comfortable? (Q38 changed “son” to “daughter”). Hope that helps.

The Serbians were feed a heavy dose of propaganda. Day after day for a long period of time. Some had coexsisted as neighbors yet turn on them. Neuroscientists are have been studying this. Propaganda is seen in many forms. Although suttley even in political elections. Be aware.

This survey is very imprecise. The catch all category, “Christians” obscures an important distinction. Serbians are Eastern Orthodox Christians, and do not recognize the Pope as anything other than the Bishop of Rome. Croatians, however, are Roman Catholics. The three groups speak different languages and often see themselves as practicing different religions. In this instance, the violence was committed by Serbians (Orthodox, like the Russians) against an Muslim Bosnians. Serbians and Croatians also have a history of violence against one another.

They speak the same language and Bosniaks have commited crimes against Serbs as well. Serbs are an ethic group, they do not identify ethnicity with any faith and will often tell you that Bosniaks are islamised Serbs.

I would have been interested in some of the geopolitic implications. For example, to ask what religion Bosnian Muslims considered Serbs to be, and how they felt about Serbs. And then to ask BM what religion they considered Americans to be, and then to ask how they felt about Americans, etc.

God commanded so much more than loving each other. To know and believe in Jesus Christ as God is eternal life and remission of sins, no other faith preaches that except Christianity, so how can you say look past religion or as others say all religions are the same. Even the reason for loving others is different, as Christians we love through the power of Jesus Christ, in imitation of Jesus Christ for the glory of God the Father- what other religion does that?

It is obvious that Britain wants to put attention on Serbia in order to redirect Islamic terrorists to attack Serbia instead the British soil. Why to travel so far when murderers of Moslems are much nearer. British are far greater murderers through human history,there is no comparation.

About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts.